Fresh clashes erupted along the volatile Pakistan-Afghanistan border late Friday night, December 5, 2025, resulting in the deaths of four civilians and one Afghan soldier, with five others wounded on the Afghan side, according to Afghan government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat. The exchange of gunfire and mortar shelling near the Chaman-Spin Boldak crossing in Balochistan province lasted until dawn on Saturday, marking a significant breach of the fragile Qatar-brokered ceasefire that had held since deadly October clashes killed dozens. On the Pakistani side, three civilians—including a woman—sustained minor injuries from what Islamabad described as "unprovoked" Afghan fire, with no fatalities reported.

Afghan officials, including Spin Boldak district governor Abdul Karim Jahad, accused Pakistani forces of initiating the attack on Afghan positions in the Maazal Gali and Luqman village areas, prompting a defensive response. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid echoed this on X, stating that Pakistani aggression targeted Spin Boldak, forcing Afghan border guards to retaliate. In contrast, Pakistani security sources, including a spokesman for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, claimed Afghan Taliban elements fired first on the Badani area, with troops returning fire to protect territorial integrity. The Chaman crossing, a vital trade artery handling millions in annual commerce, was temporarily disrupted, though no full closure was announced.

The incident underscores escalating tensions since the Taliban's 2021 return to power in Kabul, exacerbated by Islamabad's accusations that Afghanistan harbours Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants responsible for attacks inside Pakistan, including a November 13 assault on Cadet College Wana that killed six. Afghanistan denies these claims, countering that Pakistan's fencing of the 2,640-km Durand Line—imposed unilaterally—displaces border communities and fuels resentment. Recent peace talks in Saudi Arabia yielded no breakthroughs, and Pakistan's partial reopening of Chaman and Torkham earlier this week briefly eased humanitarian strains amid Afghanistan's economic collapse.

Also Read: Myanmar Elections 2025 Expose Power Struggle, Conflict, and Fragmented Political Landscape

With over 3.3 million displaced by ongoing skirmishes and airstrikes—1,134 reported in early 2025 alone, per ACLED data—the border flare-up risks broader instability in a region strained by refugee flows and illicit economies like scam centres. International calls for restraint from the UN and China have gone unheeded, as both sides vow to defend their frontiers. Local residents on the Afghan side reported damaged homes and bloodied streets, with one man photographed beside rubble in Chaman, symbolising the human toll of this enduring rivalry.

As diplomatic channels remain strained—Pakistan recently deported over 500 Afghan refugees—the Saturday morning lull offers a tenuous pause, but analysts warn that without addressing root grievances like cross-border militancy and the disputed Durand Line, such incidents could spiral into October-scale violence, further isolating Taliban-ruled Afghanistan and complicating regional security.

Also Read: Delhi Government Reviews On-Ground Sanitation Efforts During City-Wide Cleanliness Drive